Escaping to a cool, simple cabin in a rural corner is a long-held Swedish tradition. We’ve found two idyllic options in overlooked Gunnarsbyn, near the Arctic Circle
Step one of this secret would probably be to be rich enough.
You probably don’t need to be that rich if you already live in a Nordic country. Which still makes that article kind of asinine, as it’s obviously not aimed at a Nordic audience.
Sister of mine bought a summer cottage (or more like a full blown, two story, house) for less than 30k€. For that you don’t get running water nor sewers (which probably saved that old house) and it’s not right next to a lake, but there’s some yard to get your hands dirty and some peace and quiet.
They live in a city on a 5th floor rental apartment, so for them it’s a pretty nice option. Meanwhile I have a house on the countryside already and if I had a cottage it would just mean another property to maintain, so even if I had the money I’m not interested. Being on cottage by the lake is really nice way to spend your time, but as with many things, it’s better to have a friend who owns a cottage than have one by yourself.
It is helpful to have very low expectations for the cabin - skipping one or more of multiple rooms, running water, electricity, and flush toilets keeps costs way down.
Not really. Land is cheap* and the cabins can be very modest and you don’t have to pay much in taxes because they’re not for permanent living.
Also many families already have a cabin and they’re used by several families, meaning relatives. It used to be grandad’s, now all his kid’s kids use it. Sure, that’s generational, but not wealth so much.
* let me clarify: a lot of land is cheap. Probably not beach property close to the capital though.
Land is cheap
Search up Sweden population density. I wouldn‘t be surprised if land for just a small cabin was cheap as hell there.
Land in remote places where no one wants it can be had for cheap.
Land in urban places where there’s high demand cannot
Let me clarify: a lot of land is cheap. Probably not beach property close to the capital though.
If you’re insinuating sth else, speak to me.
Yeah, but also no.
This cabin is about 40k euro outright with a lakeside property.
https://www.booli.se/bostad/2988459
This is what summer cabins is all about. I know you can find more expensive examples, but if you look in the correct places, you will afford a quiet place to call your own.
They are not built in the same manner as an American country house, but rather as small wooden cabins with stoves and saunas.
This cabin is just like any other in the area where I grew up
Sure, but also
I can’t afford to buy my first house.
And that’s with a beach. And appears to have running water. I couldn’t find it on the map, how close it is to the big city, but I bet one could get sth significantly cheaper further north without waterfront.
(Honestly for me 40k would be too much)
Smaller cabins, especially those located far away, can usually be had for not that much money. It’s fairly accessible to the middle class.
Not only in Sweden. This is a known concept in many countries and has surprisingly little to do with wealth (the cabins are pretty modest and tax exempt, and land is cheap).
The thing is: That stuff doesn’t scale. A luxury cabin on a lake with nobody else around is nice. Of course. But there is no way that millions of people can vacation like that
